Professional Composition Techniques (4): Using Special Lenses

Other than wide-angle, standard, and telephoto lenses, there are also special lenses such as macro and fisheye lenses. These lenses provide special angles-of-view, giving you a new perspective on the world around you. Find out how you can use them to enhance your compositions. (Written by: Tatsuya Tanaka)

Macro lenses

Macro lenses are a special type of lens that allows you to photograph small subjects close-up. They can be used to photograph various things, such as insects, plants, or even food.

A “true macro lens” has a reproduction ratio of at least 1:1 (1.0x magnification), which means that at the closest focusing distance, the final image of the subject is life size. This makes them good for filling the frame with your subject or drawing attention to fine details.

The macro lens angle-of-view at 1.0x magnification

A: Angle-of-view
B: Area that is magnified by 1.0x
C: Lens

At 1.0x magnification, the angle-of-view becomes extremely narrow, resembling that of a super telephoto lens.

When you shoot close-up, your lens might cast a shadow over the subject, resulting in insufficient lighting. As the depth-of-field is usually already very shallow, using a wider aperture is probably not a viable option. You will have to either light up the subject, or use a slower shutter speed. The latter increases the risk of camera shake, which becomes more obvious the higher the magnification. It helps if your lens has built-in image stabilisation (IS). You can also use a tripod for better stability.

It is often easier to use manual focus (MF) for macro photography because the small depth-of-field makes AF challenging. In a normal shot, you would probably compose your photo first and then turn the focusing ring to make the image sharper. But in macro photography, turning the focusing ring also changes the magnification ratio, which in turn changes the composition.

Here’s a more efficient way:

1. Turn the focusing ring until you get the magnification ratio that you want.
2. Move the camera back and forth until the image appears sharp.

Tip: You might have an easier time composing if your camera has many AF points/positions.

Fisheye lenses

Fisheye lenses are special ultra-wide-angle lenses that produce a unique curved distortion effect, providing a very unique perspective. There are two different kinds of fisheye lenses: Diagonal and circular.

A fisheye lens can be either a prime lens or a zoom lens. A fisheye zoom lens is capable of both circular and diagonal fisheye effects. The effect you get depends on the angle-of-view and the size of the image sensor.

Circular fisheye lens: Tilt the lens up to create a "planetarium" effect

A circular fisheye lens creates an image within the lens image circle, producing a “tunnel-vision” effect as shown below. When you aim the lens upward, it creates an effect where the subjects loom over you, as though you were in a planetarium.

Aiming the lens directly upward creates an effect that resembles the view in a planetarium.

Tip: On both types of fisheye lenses, the distortion gets stronger the more you close in on the subject. I got this shot by moving close to the tree.

Diagonal fisheye: Take note of alignment

Diagonal fisheye lenses are also known as full-frame fisheye lenses because their images cover the entire frame. They probably provide the largest angle-of-view possible for such images.

Other than the distortion, diagonal fisheye images resemble normal images. For some scenes, a diagonal fisheye shot might be mistaken for a poorly aligned image shot on an ordinary lens. In the example above, the camera was horizontally level, but the distortion makes the image look tilted. Be aware of this effect if stability is important to your shot.

Tip: To keep horizons relatively straight, place them in the centre of the frame. This is where the distortion effect is least visible.

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Tatsuya Tanaka

Born in 1956, Tanaka is one of the rare photographers who produce works across a wide variety of genres from an original perspective. These genres range from objects in our daily lives, such as insects and flowers, to landscapes, skyscapes, and celestial bodies. Besides photography, Tanaka has also developed his own approach in post processes including retouch and printing.